For Ethany

ANY daddy’s girl will tell you that one of the sweetest things a father can do for his princess, young or old, is pay homage to her for the world to see…trust me, I know!

Well today’s FITC not only went there but he did it with style…literally, and in the process, has spread hope through his gesture that would leave you appreciating every aspect of what he does.

Adam Cadette is a 27 year old father of two beautiful princesses who has turned a difficult situation into one that invokes beauty, hope, love life and fashion all in one.

The Vide Bouteille resident was dealt a tough hand at the birth of his first daughter five years ago when he learnt that she was born with Down’s syndrome.

Cadette admitted that whilst it was momentarily a difficult realisation to take in, his parental instinct to love and nurture his daughter soon took over and he hasn’t looked back.

Today, he is a self employed founder of Ethany’s Creative Designs which can be found on Facebook, whose work and drive was inspired by his little daughter.

Telling her story of strength and his story of love, hope and resilience through his pieces, Cadette has gone on to provide for his family and is showing the world that determination is one of the best tools for success.

The VOICE: Tell me about your life as a father of two daughters, one of whom has special needs.

Adam: I believe that my household is just the same as any other household. Day to day, we have our challenges but I don’t see us as different as compared to any other family. I think fatherhood is fun and exciting. Before becoming a parent, you would hear all the negatives about children like them being expensive to maintain and all the other negative aspects but now that I’m a father, I have grown to realise that children are blessings…parenthood is a gift. Having them gives you value that you will be willing to fight for.

The VOICE: Now you founded Ethany’s Creative Designs, tell me about that venture and why you felt the need to make that move.

Adam: There was a point where I was unemployed and job hunting, but during that time, all I could think about was to do something that would contribute towards the well-being of my daughter and family. Normally, we have that view that when you leave school, you have to go out and work for someone and I’m not saying that’s entirely a bad thing, but I think that we should have the mind set to create our own employment instead of depending on a 9-5 job. So I started off making survivor bracelets and the reason why I chose survivor bracelets is that I wanted to choose something that could represent what my daughter stands for, because in my eyes, she is a survivor.

The VOICE: Tell me about the significance between your daughter and your business.

Adam: I make the bracelets with braided para-cord (parachute cord) and what would happen was that people from the military, first response team etc, would carry the cord in the form of a bracelet or necklace in case of an emergency. This is because this cord is very durable and has the strength to withstand 550lb of weight. Then my daughter’s name Ethany, which comes from the Hebrew name Ethan, meaning strong, firm, enduring, was used because she was born with Down’s syndrome and she was also born with a hole in her heart. She spent a lot of time in the hospital but now she’s progressing. But seeing her fighting through her whole ordeal, it was my inspiration to go into this particular business and so even with my jewellery, the people who buy it are carrying more than just a fashion accessory, they are actually carrying a piece of equipment that could possibly save their lives.

The VOICE: What has the response been like since you started your business?

Adam: I find it’s been wonderful. I honestly never thought that I would have gotten this much support from people. I’ve had people approach me telling me that they heard my story and that they’re interested in one of my pieces. They like the fact that it is unique and different from the norm. There is this young lady who told me that she visits my Facebook page and every time she does, she sees something new and different that she wants. I feel blessed and it gives me that extra zeal to keep pushing and it shows me that I’m headed in the right direction.

The VOICE: The average person in your situation would most probably miss their blessings and opportunity because they would be wallowing and feeling downbeat, but you used your situation to propel you forward, how did you do that?

Adam: My view in life is that everything is about perception…you either see the glass as half empty or half full. When I first heard of my daughter’s condition, I didn’t think that this would be easy for any parent to hear…we all dream of having healthy babies. At first it was hard and I spent the first couple of weeks fighting it but then I said you know what, let life take its course. The one thing I never do is ask “why me God?” Would I want it to happen to anybody else? So I just started to count my blessings and do research on how to look after children with Down’s syndrome.

The VOICE: You have showed that there really is no excuse for being unemployed as long as you’re able bodied. What would you say to the people who choose to sit around and do nothing rather than earn a decent living?

Adam: We need to re-evaluate ourselves and our lives because we need to make a clear distinction between what is very important what is important and what is simply not. I find that a lot of us have no sense of direction especially the young people today. They don’t know where they are going and although everyone wants to enjoy great things in life, they don’t know what they have to do to get to where they want to be in life. I would say that whatever it is that you are passionate about, you give that your time and energy…you invest in it. For instance, I had a Playstation 4 games console which I really loved but I saw what I wanted to do because I had it all planned out. I didn’t want to dig into my savings and I saw the console as a distraction, slowing me down on my journey towards my goal so I sold it and used the money towards my first order of materials. Today, I would say that it was a worthwhile investment because I have gained so much more in return. So in a sense, we have to sometimes lose to gain.

The VOICE: As I mentioned before, many parents in similar situations like yours would be wallowing and depressed because of the fact that they had a child with special needs. What words of encouragement would you extend to these parents given the chance?

Adam: Life is short…are we going to spend the little bit of time we have on this earth to grumble and complain? Or are we going to make the best of what we have and enjoy life? I believe that from the time a child has been born, there is no more “I”. You dedicate your life to that child. I have seen parents make a lot of selfish decisions and most times, the children are the ones suffering, then we turn around and complain about society and the way it is today. I’m not saying to give up on your dreams but that child deserves to be loved and cared for just as you would do for any child. We are the ones responsible for bringing them here so we should carry out that parental responsibility the best way we can.

The VOICE: Imagine Ethany picking up a copy of this article in 10-15 years time, what message would you like to sneak in there that would just make her day?

Adam: I would want her to know that she is my inspiration and she has transformed me into a whole new person. I want her to know that I love her unconditionally and that she always has been and always will be my little blessing.